First we have Tunisia:
A standoff between street protesters and the Tunisian authorities deepened on Wednesday as officials first promised and then postponed a reshuffling of the interim government that has been clinging to power since the ouster of the former dictator, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.
The interim government, condemned by protesters because of its domination by former officials of Mr. Ben Ali’s administration, continued to move against the former president. The justice minister, one of Mr. Ben Ali’s former lieutenants, said the government had issued an international arrest warrant for the former president and his family on charges of corruption and enriching themselves at public expense. The interim authorities are also bringing to trial six former members of Mr. Ben Ali’s personal security force for inciting violence.
Hundreds of protesters who drove to the capital from the impoverished southern provinces have been camped outside the prime minister’s office since the weekend, sleeping on mattresses and eating food donated by local residents. Hundreds of others join them each day to chant for the dissolution of the interim government, and by Wednesday the protesters were visibly exhausted.
As the crowd exceeded 1,000, some scaled the walls of government buildings, toppled a lamppost and nearly pulled a police officer out of his armored car. In the Old City, the police fired tear gas to clear a street near the Justice Ministry while soldiers closed off side streets. Later, soldiers fired shots in the air to try to calm the crowd around the prime minister’s office.
Then Yemen gets some inspiration:
The popular revolt in Tunisia has inspired the largest protests "in the recent history of Yemen", the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post newspaper, Hakim Almasmari, says.
Yemenis were not prepared anymore to put up with widespread poverty while "corruption is everywhere", Mr Almasmari told the BBC World Service.
"They are saying: 'Enough is enough, we want justice, and those who are corrupt should be taken to court'."
Thousand of Yemenis have been demonstrating in the capital Sanaa, calling on Ali Abdullah Saleh, president for 30 years, to step down.
Mr Almasmari said the opposition had decided to initiate protests against the president because "they felt that all chances of a dialogue with the ruling party are vanishing".
And finally, Egypt: (Photos!)
Egyptian protesters continued to protest, calling for the dissolution of parliament, implementation of democracy and higher wages, along with the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
This could have some severe implications if they're successful, I just hope no extremist government takes their place.
Edit: More info on Egypt:
Emboldened by this month's revolt in Tunisia that toppled its long-serving leader, Egyptians have staged mass protests since Tuesday in an unprecedented outburst of anger against Mubarak's strong-handed rule.
"This is a revolution," one 16-year-old protester said in Suez late on Thursday. "Every day we're coming back here."
Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei, who returned to Egypt from Vienna on Thursday, has called for Mubarak to resign and said he would join the protests on Friday.
A page on Facebook social networking site listed more than 30 mosques and churches where protesters were expected gather.
"Egypt's Muslims and Christians will go out to fight against corruption, unemployment and oppression and absence of freedom," the page said, adding more than 70,000 had signed up online.
Late into Thursday night in Suez, police fired tear gas at protesters who hurled stones and petrol bombs. Fires burned in the street, filling the air with smoke.
|
